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Paul Eber (8 November 1511 – 10 December 1569) was a German
Paul Eber (8 November 1511 – 10 December 1569) was a German Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, reformer and hymnwriter
A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of ...
, known for the hymn for the dying, " Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott".
Life
He was born atKitzingen
Kitzingen () is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of the Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants. Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer ...
in Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian languages, Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three Regierungsbezirk, administrative ...
, and was educated at Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
then Wittenberg
Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...
, where he became the close friend of Philipp Melanchthon. In 1541 he was appointed professor of Latin grammar
Latin is a heavily inflected language with largely free word order. Nouns are inflected for number and case; pronouns and adjectives (including participles) are inflected for number, case, and gender; and verbs are inflected for person, ...
at Wittenberg, and in 1557 professor of the Old Testament at Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ...
. His range of learning was wide, and he published a handbook of Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, and their nation, religion, and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions, and cultures. Although Judaism as a religion first appears in Greek records during the Hellenisti ...
, a historical calendar intended to supersede the Roman Saints' Calendar, and a revision of the Latin Old Testament.
He was an effective preacher and faithful collaborator of Melanchthon. A proponent of a mild Lutheran doctrine, he played an important role in the theological conflicts of the time, trying to mediate between the extreme tendencies, particularly between the Gnesio-Lutherans
Gnesio-Lutherans (from Greek γνήσιος nesios genuine, authentic) is a modern name for a theological party in the Lutheran churches, in opposition to the Philippists after the death of Martin Luther and before the Formula of Concord. In t ...
and the Crypto-Calvinists
Crypto-Calvinism is a pejorative term describing a segment of those members of the Lutheran Church in Germany who were accused of secretly subscribing to Calvinist doctrine of the Eucharist in the decades immediately after the death of Martin Lut ...
.
From 1559 to the close of his life he was superintendent general of the electorate of Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. He attained some fame as a hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
writer, his best-known composition being ''Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein.''
In Wittenberg he lived on the north east corner of Kirchplatz/Judenstrasse, close to the Stadtkirche.Plaque to Paul Eber, Wittenberg
He died at Wittenberg on 10 December 1569. He is buried near the altar in St Mary's Church ( Stadtkirche Wittenberg). The grave is less than 100m from his home.
Memorials
In 1573Lucas Cranach the Younger
Lucas Cranach the Younger (german: Lucas Cranach der Jüngere ; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach.
Life and career
Lucas Cranach ...
created a memorial painting, showing Eber in the Garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great reson ...
in the church.
Remembrance
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
composed in 1725 a chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the German Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chorale cantata includes m ...
on his hymn in eight stanzas, ''Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott'', BWV 127. Bach also composed a church cantata "Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir" BWV 130, based on the eponymous hymn in twelve stanzas by Paul Eber (1554).
References
Further reading
* Werner Raupp: Art. Eber, Paul, in: Lexikon der Reformationszeit. Ed.: Klaus Ganzer u. Bruno Steimer, Herder, Freiburg/Basel/Wien 2002 (ISBN 3-451-22019-9) (engl.: Dictionary of reformation. Transl. by Brian McNeil, New York: Crossroad Publ. Co. 2004; ISBN 0-8245-2119-6), col. 205-206. * Daniel Gehrt und Volker Leppin (Ed.): Paul Eber (1511–1569). Humanist und Theologe der zweiten Generation der Wittenberger Reformation, Leipzig 2014 (ISBN 978-3-374-03056-9).Bibliography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eber, Paul 1511 births 1569 deaths People from Kitzingen German Lutheran theologians Philippists Academic staff of the University of Wittenberg Christian hymnwriters 16th-century German Protestant theologians German male non-fiction writers 16th-century hymnwriters 16th-century German male writers